Tabula Rasa, Redux
by Garrett
Summary: An alternative take on "Tabula Rasa", with Willow's spell affecting only Buffy and Tara, instead of everyone, and with a different type of affect on their memories.
1. Part 1

Author's Note: This fic is based off a challenge that I saw and liked. (Translation: plot bunnies everywhere.) For reference, here's the challenge:

Challenge:  
Willow performs a spell and instead of erasing Buffy & Tara's memory it makes Buffy & Tara think that they are in love.  
  
Pick at least three out of seven:  
1. Willow trying to reverse the spell but that backfires and she falls in love with ??? (you pick)  
2. Buffy & Tara end up together  
3. A song by one of these groups, Default, Nickelback, Bif Naked, Edwin (or Edwin & The Pressure) or The Moffats. (Notice a Canadian theme)  
4. Tara in leather  
5. Whipped cream & Strawberries  
6. Buffy confessing to the gang that she loves Tara.  
7. Tara & Buffy get there memories back and still love each other.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Tabula Rasa, Tabula Rasa, Tabula Rasa...."

***

"Sorry. Everybody's sorry. I know that you guys are just trying to help....but it's just, it's too much. And, and I, I can't take it any more. If you guys....if you guys understood how it felt....how it feels. It's like I'm dying, it-"

Suddenly, without warning, Buffy collapsed, much to everyone's surprise and dismay. Except for Tara, who had also fallen to the floor, dead to the world. "Tara!" shouted Willow, now worried that her spell had somehow backfired.

"What just happened to those two?" asked Spike in a sneering tone of voice.

"It was probably Willow," declared Anya tactlessly. "She erased Tara's memory of a fight they had about Willow using too much magic, so who knows what she did before-"

"Anya!" hissed Xander. "What have I told you about not talking about things that don't concern you?"

"This *does* concern me! Willow's turning into Black Magic Girl, and no one has the guts to say anything about it!" Regarding her fiancé, who was holding onto Willow protectively, Anya added bitterly, "Not like you would say anything, Xander Harris. You'll always be her White Knight, and Buffy's, too. I bet you're still in lo-"

"Don't even go there, Anya," muttered Xander, as mist began to cloud his vision.

"Oh, I'll go there," answered the ex-demon boldly. "There's no reason why everyone shouldn't know that you're afraid to marry me, probably because you're still holding a candle for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Willow the Lesbian Witch."

Giles, who had been patiently waiting out the storm while attempting to prepare a makeshift bed for both Buffy and Tara, finally reached his boiling point. "Enough! Buffy and Tara may be in serious danger here, and neither of you are helping!" Noticing the large grin on Spike's face, the Watcher added, "Wipe that smile off your face, Spike, before I throw you out."

"Oh, sod off," replied the vampire. "I'm helping your precious little Slayer-see?" True to his word (for once), Spike had found a couch and had placed Buffy on it. "Have you figured out what's wrong with them?"

"No," sneered Giles. "Although, Tara doesn't appear to have the signs of any illness that I'm aware of. Perhaps Anya is right, and both Buffy and Willow are feeling the after effects of Willow's spells." Had he bothered to look at Willow, he would have noticed that she was not only sporting an expression of guilt, but one of extreme nervousness.

"So, what do we do now?" asked Dawn, who had been silent until now.

"We wait."


	2. Part 2

"Ohhh, my head...." Buffy slowly sat up, checking her surroundings as she stood up. Almost on instinct, she looked to see where Tara was, and saw the witch lying down, unconscious on the other side of the Magic Box sales floor. "Tara?" she asked, the concern in her voice evident. Running to her side, the Slayer grabbed onto her hand and began soothing the other woman, begging her to wake up.

"OK," replied a dumbfounded Xander, "that's new." Looking over to an equally astonished Willow, he asked, "Have you and Tara been spending quality, X-rated, time with Buffy and not telling me about it?"

"Xander...." replied Willow, giving her friend the familiar response to Xander-y comments that have crossed into the unacceptable. Not that the dirty looks she, Giles, and Anya were giving him weren't doing the job well enough.

"Again with the 'I miss Oz'," replied Xander. "I bet even Angel would have appreciated that one." After getting another round of glares, Xander added, "Or, maybe not. Is it OK if I shut up now?"

"For bullocks' sake, *yes*!" shouted Spike. "Wish I'd bit you when I had the chance."

Xander chose to ignore the comment as Tara woke up, with a passionate gaze in her eyes. Unlike every other time Xander had seen that look in Tara's eyes, it wasn't directed at Willow. It was directed at Buffy.


	3. Part 3

Tara's eyes fluttered open, and she smiled at the sight before her. "B-buffy," she stuttered, nervous because of the worried look on the Slayer's face. "W-what's wrong?"

"You fainted," replied Buffy.

"You did, too."

"Maybe I was worried about you," responded the kneeling blonde.

"Liar," grinned Tara with a mocking tone as she leaned closer to the other woman. "If you keep being naughty, I might have to punish you."

"So now you've decided that you're really part demon?" asked Buffy, playing along with Tara.

"Spike said you liked a little monster in your men," answered the witch playfully.

"Maybe I like my women witchy," declared Buffy, just before she kissed Tara passionately.

***

"I think I'll chalk this one up to the Hellmouth," murmured Xander.

"Bloody hell!" hissed a suddenly jilted Spike.

"Excellent," muttered a shocked (and surprisingly prejudicial) Giles sarcastically. "Buffy's gay."

"Well, at least I don't have to worry about Buffy stealing Xander away from me," declared Anya.

"Oh no," whispered Willow. "No...."

"How could you!?!" shouted Dawn, watching as Buffy kissed Tara. "Stop it!" The girl threw her sister from Tara forcefully, angering the Slayer, and surprising everyone else (as if there wasn't enough of the surreal going on).

"Dawn, what are you doing!?!"

"Stopping you from hurting Willow, obviously," said the other girl indignantly. "What makes you think you can just wake up and start kissing Tara?"

"Maybe because I love Tara." Buffy stated her feelings for for the witch as if it were a long-standing fact. "I've been in love with her for two years. You know about this. We had a talk about it after I came out!"

Unable to bear Buffy's apparent lies, Dawn did the only thing that came to her mind. She ran.


	4. Part 4

"Dawn!" Buffy shouted after her sister, hoping to reason with her. "Dawn, please come back!"

"Why should I?" asked Dawn accusingly, tears streaming down her cheeks all the while. "I hate you!"

"Dawn, please," pleaded Buffy. "What's wrong? What did I do?"

"What did you do!?!" replied the younger Summers sister. "You kissed Tara! In front of Willow!"

"Dawn, it's not like we've never kissed in front of Willow before," shrugged the Slayer. "Willow sort of introduced us, remember? After the whole body-switching with Faith thing...."

Dawn remembered the incident, of course. Even though I really wasn't alive then, she thought. "But you weren't dating or anything, and you never have!"

"How can you say that?" asked a now-hurt Buffy. "We told you and Mom just before Riley and Angel had that huge fight over me. How could you forget?"

"It never happened, Buffy," answered Dawn sternly. "Now leave me alone."

Dawn turned away, leaving her confused sister in tears until another form approached. Tara ran to Buffy as soon as she saw her lover crying, and embraced her fiercely. "It's alright, Buffy," soothed the Wicca. "I'm here."

"She hates me," said Buffy between sobs. "She said that you and I....she said that we never fell in love. What if it's true? What if this is all just a lie?"

"Does it feel like a lie?" asked Tara as she looked deeply into the Slayer's eyes.

"No," whispered Buffy. "But I can't bear to think of life, of living, without you. I love you, Tara."

"I love you, too," answered the blonde witch as the two closed in for a long and deeply passionate kiss.

***

"It's been a while since I last said this," announced Xander, breaking the stunned silence between the remaining Scoobies in the Magic Box, "but what the *HELL* was that?"

"A backfired memory loss spell," replied Anya coldly. "Done by someone either too stupid, or too overconfident to realize that you never cast such a spell on two people at once."

"Why don't you stop being all coy and blame it on Red?" asked Spike as he lit up a cigarette. "You know you want to."

"I was trying to help them," whispered Willow as she looked down at her feet in shame.

"No, you were trying cover up your own mistakes," accused Anya. "Tara gets in a fight with you because you've been using too much magic, and you wipe her memory. Buffy says that she was pulled out of heaven, and you try to erase her memories of what it was like. And now, what do we have? Tara and Buffy lusting over each other, and Dawn blaming her sister because she thinks that Buffy's trying to screw up your relationship with Tara."

"So? I'll just fix the spell when I get home."

"You most certainly will not!" shouted Giles. "I will not allow you to use your powers in such a reprehensible manner any longer!"

"Oh, but when the next Big Bad shows up, then it's alright for me to use my magic?" asked Willow defensively. "It's always the same with you-'Don't use your magic until we tell you to, Willow', 'Magic is dangerous, Willow', 'Kill the monster with your magic, Willow'. Why don't you just admit that you don't want me to be independent, and that you want me to be dependable, reliable, obedient old Willow?"

"It's not like that, Will," answered Xander. "We're just afraid that you may be hurting yourself...."

"Whatever, Xander," interjected Willow. "You're just worried about Buffy. I mean, God forbid that something happens to Buffy! Never mind about Willow, your best friend since preschool!"

"Willow, don't even say that," said Xander as he tried to fight back tears. "You know that I love you...."

"You could have fooled me," sneered the witch, who was now fighting back her own tears. "You leave me hanging on your every move for years, only to start sucking face with *Cordelia*, then you finally decide to start noticing me when I'm with Oz. And let's not forget how you lost your virginity to Faith! And, of course, who could forget your affair with Anya, who's just a selfish little child more interested in sex than building a lasting relationship!"

"That's not true!" shouted Anya. "I care about killing bunnies, too." Anya's smile was wide with its naiveté, and was quickly met by hostile expressions from Willow, Xander, and Giles. "Stupid rabbit lovers," she muttered before allowing the argument to continue.

"Willow, please," asked Xander. "Tell us what spell you used, so we can reverse it."

"No!" she answered angrily as her eyes began to darken with anger. "It's my spell, and I'll fix it myself. It's not like I can't control myself."

"You can't," said Xander. "You promised Tara that you were going to stop using magic for a week, and you did a spell on her."

"Maybe I'm so in control of my powers and it frightens you," hissed the witch.

"Or perhaps you're so far out of control that you aren't able to perceive things properly," replied Giles thoughtfully. "You need help, Willow."

Willow's tears gave way to a slight chuckle. Then a few giggles. Within moments, she was laughing heartily. "You're serious. You actually think that I'm some sort of junkie? Well, guess what: I don't need you. I don't need you," she stated, pointing at Giles, "and I never needed you, Anya." The witch confidently approached Xander, and laughed again, right in his face. "And as for you, *Alexander*, you're pathetic. I only wish that I had seen it years ago, so I wouldn't have wasted my time calling you my friend."

Xander was stunned. He stood in place like a teetering prizefighter as Willow walked out of the Magic Box, not saying a word for what seemed like an eternity, before whispering, "She hasn't called me that since the day we met."

"Well, good riddance to bad rubbish.....that's how it goes, right?" asked Anya, proud to be rid of Willow, and prouder still to have remembered the expression correctly.

"Anya, please do be quiet," scolded Giles, himself now slightly misty-eyed.

"Why should she?" questioned Spike, who was enjoying the proceedings like it was high theater. "Let the stupid bint go. Show her that you don't care, because you know she'll bloody well come crawling back within a couple of days. She'll promise to get off the magic and be a good girl, then she'll break your hearts again. You're better off without it, believe me." The vampire lit up another cigarette as he finished, not caring if anyone would actually notice his smoking.

"Shut up, Spike," responded a despondent Xander.

"Make me," beamed the demon.

"Leave, Spike," declared Giles, "before I let him."

"You wouldn't dare, Rupie," replied Spike. "You need me, and you know it."

"I seem to recall you coming in here asking us for protection," remarked the Watcher. "Protection which I don't see a reason for giving."

"Fine then," he sneered. "Go on and live your sorry little lives. See if I care." Spike threw down his cigarette angrily and rubbed out the fire with his shoe before leaving in a huff, allowing Xander to let down his guard and cry for his best friend.

***

Willow walked up the stairs, passing Dawn's and Buffy's bedrooms without a second glance as she entered her and Tara's room. I'll show them, she thought as she pulled out the darkened crystal, quickly readying the room for her counter spell.

"Tabula Rasa, Tabula Rasa, Tabula Rasa....."

For a brief moment, the crystal returned to its original state, then returning to its former, blackened state. Willow's anger, frustration, and determination faded with the color of the rock, replaced with contentment and exhaustion. She went to the closet, pulling out not her normal nightgown, but a familiar, beloved shirt before taking off her clothes and donning the shirt. Within minutes, Willow was asleep, dreaming of her beloved, whom she vowed to make up everything to before drifting into subconsciousness.


	5. Part 5

Dawn was in a very sore mood as she ate her breakfast in solitude. And not without reason, as Buffy and Tara had kept her up all night long. And judging on the type of sounds they were making, it wasn't because of an all-night session of Parcheesi. This is all Buffy's fault, thought the teenager angrily as she ate her cereal in solitude. "Why does Buffy always have to ruin everything?"

"Is something wrong, Dawnie?" Willow walked over to the girl, hugging her supportively. "You know, if you talk to your sister, you might be able to work things out."

Dawn was incredulous. "Work things out!?! Willow, Buffy is in her bed with your girlfriend! And I bet they're naked, too!" Dawn shuddered with disgust for a moment before she said, "I think we're well past the 'working things out' stage, don't you?"

Willow was able to find some humor in the situation. In fact, she was laughing right at the younger Summers sister with no regard to Dawn's feelings at all. "Dawn, I don't *have* a girlfriend. That's not to say I wouldn't *mind* having one, but that's this really long conversation about my tendencies, which I don't feel like talking about, because I don't have a girlfriend and it's best if we leave it at that."

Dawn couldn't believe her ears. "But....But what about Tara?" The onetime Key refused to give up on her friends like this, especially Willow and Tara. Not after all they had done for her. "But you're in love with her, remember? She's the love of your life."

Willow couldn't help but laugh again, still unaware of just how much she was hurting her best friend's sister. "Dawn, of course I love Tara; she's not only my magic partner, but she's a great friend. But she's hardly the love of my life."

Now in tears, Dawn realized that whatever was affecting Tara and Buffy was now spreading to Willow. "Something's wrong with you," she said as she fearfully backed away from the redhead.

"How can you say that?" asked Willow defensively. "Nothing is wrong with me, Tara, or your sister. Now come over here, and we'll talk about what's been bothering you lately. Then, we'll go upstairs and see Buffy, and you can-"

"No!" shouted Dawn, who was now in complete hysterics. "Something's wrong with you, a-and I'm going to find out what."

Dawn stormed out of the house, completely ignoring Xander as she nearly trampled over him on her way out. Undaunted, Xander went into the kitchen, only to be shocked by Willow. Or rather, by what she was wearing. What she *wasn't* wearing also contributed to the shock value factor, too. "W-Willow, is that....?"

"This?" asked the witch, grabbing hold of her impromptu nightshirt. "I found it last night, and wanted to see if it still....fits. What do you think, Xand?"

Xander stammered nervously as his best friend in the world walked over to him, looking very much like someone who considered talking to be a very low priority right now. "I....Well, you seem to fit....In the shirt, which is good, because it's all you have to fit in. Right now." Xander confirmed his assessment by looking Willow over as she closed in on him. Her shirt (Or is it still mine? he thought) was partially unbuttoned, revealing just enough cleavage to make it clear that Willow wasn't wearing a bra. Also, Xander noticed something red near the bottom of his old shirt-and then promptly went into shock when he realized that it *wasn't* her panties. OhGodOhGodOhGodOhGodOhGod was all that raced through his mind as Willow embraced her oldest friend lustily.

"Well," announced Willow slyly, "if you're not sure that I fit in your shirt anymore, I could always give it....back."

"Huh?" asked Xander vacantly as the last bit of blood in his big head rushed straight to his little one. When Willow broke the awkward pause by nibbling playfully on his ear, Xander leapt backward, now as mortified as he was turned on.

"What's wrong, Xander?" whimpered the now dejected witch. "Don't you love me?"

That's the problem, thought Xander as he quickly concocted a lie that had a chance at holding back his unbelievably horny friend. "That's not the pr-problem, Will. I just forgot to buy something on the way here." Willow gave Xander a confused look until he added nervously, "You know....protection?" Like a good de-lusting spell, or an army of Slayers....

"Oh!" replied Willow, acting like herself (at least as far as Xander was concerned) for the first time all day. "You should have said something before getting me all hot-and-bothery."

"Sorry."

"Darn right you are," she scolded half-jokingly. "Now go, and hurry up."

"Or....?" asked Xander, knowing full well that there was an "Or...." that belonged in Willow's last comment.

"Or," said Willow, whispering into Xander's ear seductively, "I might just have to *spank* a certain naughty little boy when he gets back from the store."

"Oh God." Xander gulped loudly as he suddenly became even more aroused than he had been before, if such a thing was actually possible. "O-okay," he murmured before running out of the Summers home in a combination of fear and relief.

***

"Spike?"

Dawn looked around Spike's crypt, searching for some sign of life. Or, in this case, unlife. She called out his name again, only to see someone stand up from Spike's chair. "Wh-who are you?"

"I'm a....friend of Spike's," replied the shark-like demon standing before Dawn. "He owes me something, and I'm waiting here patiently for him to return."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with that 'Kitten Poker' thing would it?" asked the young girl, the lines of worry now evident on her face. "Because I really don't want to be here for any of that. Killing cute animals is *so* not my thing...."

Dawn turned to leave, only to have the exit before her blocked by two very burly vampiric minions. "I'm sorry, but I simply can't allow that to happen," replied the demon flatly as the two vampires closed in on the teenager. "You see, Spike owes me 40 Siamese, and I intend to get them back. Normally, Vinny the Shark doesn't stoop to kidnapping to get what he wants, but you just look too good to pass up."

"Let me get this right," asked Dawn as a small smile emerged on her face, "You're a shark, and your name is Vinny?" When the shark nodded slightly, Dawn exploded into laughter. "A loan shark....named Vinny....I can't believe it...."

"Don't you dare associate me with those....*vermin*!" replied a now annoyed Vinny. "I, miss, am a card shark."

"Oh, you're a *card* shark," said Dawn as she again broke into hysterical laughter. "I'm *so* sorry, Mr. Shark. Please forgive me...."

Vinny was now severely pissed. "Boys," he ordered, "make sure our guest feels comfortable. I want to make sure that she doesn't have any sudden urges to leave before we're done with her. It would be a tragedy if we had to turn her into....bait."

"Bait?" asked Dawn before slipping into fits of laughter yet again. "Oh, please, stop," she begged, now rolling on the crypt floor in complete hysterics. "I think I'm going to pee my pants!"

"....Literally."

"Oh," replied Dawn, her smiled quickly fading from her face. "That's really not necessary. I'm sorry, honest! Just don't hurt me!" Vinny didn't answer; he just looked on coldly as the vampires carried the frightened girl down to the lower portion of Spike's crypt.


End file.
